Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village

Rumble...

From afar, one could see the Divine Altar Tree, which had stretched piercing the heavens beyond the clouds, beginning to collapse bit by bit. Though the barrier of the Divine Altar Tree had a hole punched through it by the Eight Legions where they had broken in, the barrier soon began to weaken to the point where such damage became meaningless.

“Argh!”

“Run!”

Boom!

The experts and sorcerers of the Twelve Rites, who had been forming the formation at the base

“Run!”

Boom!

“Where’s the Rite Lord? Where is the Rite Lord?”

In the midst of the chaos, the North Sea Ice Palace Lord shouted irritably. He was a fifty-year-old Western half-blood man with silver hair and blue eyes, possessing one of the highest levels of martial prowess among the lords of the Twelve Rites sects. Having brought all the elites of the North Sea Sect for this pivotal battle on which the fate of the Twelve Rites hung, he couldn’t help but panic now that the Divine Altar Tree was suddenly collapsing.

At that moment, the sky darkened as an enormous shadow enveloped the hundreds of people in the area.

“……!!”

A massive boulder!

One that appeared to be over 150 feet across. The thought that no human power could deal with something like that flashed through everyone’s minds in that instant. An ancient boulder embedded in the middle of the Divine Altar Tree was catapulted downward the moment the pressure from the trunk weakened.

‘No!’

The North Sea Ice Palace Lord instinctively knew that even unleashing all his yin-cold internal

embedded in the middle of the Divine Altar Tree was catapulted downward the moment the pressure from the trunk weakened.

‘No!’

The North Sea Ice Palace Lord instinctively knew that even unleashing all his yin-cold internal energy wouldn’t allow him to shatter such a boulder, and he was swept by momentary despair. He could save his own life by dodging with his movement technique, but everyone here would be turned to mincemeat.

Early-Clad Immortal

Ultimate Technique

Ironclad Fist King!

Kwaaaaang!

A massive gust erupted from the ground as a figure charged at the boulder and drove an upward punch into it. The boulder bounced back into the sky at the same speed it had fallen, shattering in the heavens. A divine feat of pulverizing a cliff-sized rock with a single punch!

The experts then unleashed their qi to deflect or block the falling fragments. The North Sea Ice Palace Lord contributed as well, shouting,

“Early-Clad Immortal Lord!! What a divine prowess.”

Indeed, among the martial artists of the world, how many fist masters could bounce back a 150-foot boulder and shatter it with a single strike?

Ta-at!

The lord of the Early-Clad Immortal Sect, one of the Three Strong among the Twelve Rites lords, landed lightly on the ground like a bird. Despite his gaunt face, his entire body was thick with muscle, and steel-like gauntlets were fitted on both arms. Crossing his arms, he spoke in a cold voice.

“What’s going on here? Why is the Divine Altar Tree collapsing?”

“I don’t know. Is there no way to contact the Rite Lord?”

“I’ve already checked with the Buddhist Sect and the Eastern Sea Secret Heaven. But the Buddhist Sect has no long-range communication sorcery, and the Eastern Sea Secret Heaven’s Heavenly Lord has been assassinated.”

“What...!! By whom?”

“It has to be the Zhuge Strategist.”

“.......”

The North Sea Ice Palace Lord ground his teeth.

‘Betraying us with the enemy right in front! Filthy Central Plains bastards.’

Naturally, they had seen his face several times over the past few months and been introduced, so they knew the Zhuge Strategist, the advisor in Baek Woong’s camp. However, since the Zhuge Strategist was obscure and kept quiet, they hadn’t paid him much mind, but unexpectedly, he had killed one of their own. The Early-Clad Immortal lord said,

“I’ve located most of the other lords. Let’s get out of here first and head to the Amur River. Our sect’s territory is there.”

“Isn’t that too far? Wouldn’t it be better to retreat to the Mudan River and observe the situation....”

sect’s territory is there.”

“Isn’t that too far? Wouldn’t it be better to retreat to the Mudan River and observe the situation….”

As the North Sea Ice Palace Lord spoke, he added in distress,

“No, more than that, you’re already giving up on finding the Rite Lord? What about fighting the Eight Legions?”

At that moment, a newly arrived expert interjected from the side.

“It was the order the Twelve Rites Lord gave the two of us. In case of an emergency, abandon the battle here and immediately evacuate to the Early-Clad Immortal Sect’s base.”

“Saulabi Sect Lord.”

Cheok Jun-gi, the lord of the Twelve Rites who commanded the Saulabi, fiddled with his beard and continued.

“No time to explain. Let’s move quickly.”

“I don’t understand the Rite Lord’s intentions.”

“Well… if I had to put it… it’s force preservation.”

“For what? If we can’t fight now when we should….”

Seeing the North Sea Ice Palace Lord’s doubt, the Saulabi Sect Lord Cheok Jun-gi gave a bitter smile. It was a situation plenty deserving of frustration.

“To the Rite Lord, now is not the time to fight… He’s different from us.”

And so, all the forces of the Twelve Rites withdrew from the Divine Altar Tree.

From the start, their linked movements were flawless, and the leaders cooperated well, so

“To the Rite Lord, now is not the time to fight... He’s different from us.”

And so, all the forces of the Twelve Rites withdrew from the Divine Altar Tree.

From the start, their linked movements were flawless, and the leaders cooperated well, so casualties were minimal. Before long, even their presence vanished completely.

Silence fell over the spot where the Twelve Rites experts had departed, until three figures suddenly appeared.

Paat!

“Interesting. To think the World Tree would collapse...”

Having returned to their true forms and then humanized, the Eight Legions’ Yaksha, the beautiful black-haired beauty Sanggwan Wan-a, muttered. In truth, they had approached near the Divine Altar Tree shortly after the barrier broke, but at the suggestion of the Eight Legions’ Kinnara, they had concealed themselves to observe the situation, deeming it unusual.

And sure enough, after a short time, the World Tree’s core collapsed, losing its vitality and beginning to sink. The three Eight Legions deemed it unnecessary to waste karma maintaining their true forms and reverted to human shapes.

The Eight Legions’ Gandharva, Geol-seon, responded in her form.

“No need to pursue and kill them?”

To that question, the burly-faced Kinnara beside her chuckled heartily.

“Haha. No need for that. It’d just be a waste of karma... No reason to chase down bugs like them.”

“Really? They’re bugs compared to our true forms, but having been active in the martial world for so long, I know the Twelve Rites’ potential well. If those guys band together, they might complicate Zhuge Yuryong’s control of the Central Plains.”

them.”

“Really? They’re bugs compared to our true forms, but having been active in the martial world for so long, I know the Twelve Rites’ potential well. If those guys band together, they might complicate Zhuge Yuryong’s control of the Central Plains.”

Gandharva wasn’t one to speak without thought. Naturally, based on the knowledge and experience she had gathered while active as Geol-seon, one of the Three Great Eccentrics of the righteous factions and former Beggar Clan leader, she judged the Twelve Rites experts as a threat. If possible, wiping them out here would make things easier later.

However, Kinnara said firmly.

“I’ve considered that too. But the loss from wasting karma outweighs the gain from killing them. Moreover, we haven’t even seen the faces of the Twelve Rites Lord or the White Lotus Cult Lord yet.”

“Hmm.”

“Leave the Twelve Rites to Zhuge Yuryong alone. We lent him Toyo too; he’s not incompetent enough to fail that. Besides, with the World Tree collapsed like this, they’ve lost over seventy percent of their forces.”

“That’s true.”

Kinnara hadn’t spared the fleeing Twelve Rites experts out of excessive mercy. It was simply that, with the World Tree’s collapse, he realized they could no longer wield power in the balance of forces. As a strategist, he most hated the error of small gain leading to great loss.

The Yaksha swung her sickle.

Kiiiiing—

A bizarre sound rang out with vibrations. Feeling the vibrations calmly, the Yaksha slowly said,

The Yaksha swung her sickle.

Kiiiiiing—

A bizarre sound rang out with vibrations. Feeling the vibrations calmly, the Yaksha slowly said,

“Strong auras are scattered around.”

“How so?”

“Auras I judge as belonging to powerhouses... total of three locations... I don’t know which is the Twelve Rites Lord or White Lotus Cult Lord.”

“Not the White Lotus Cult Lord.”

“Why?”

“...Leave searching for the White Lotus Cult Lord to those three guys on the outskirts. Then one of the three must be the Twelve Rites Lord.”

At Kinnara’s words, Gandharva thought and said,

“How about splitting up to pursue? The true form seal can be easily undone in this state anyway.”

It was a reasonable suggestion. Since each of the Eight Legions’ true forms possessed overwhelming power, splitting up to search would be fastest. Gandharva thought even one of them could solo the Twelve Rites Lord. However, Kinnara shook his head firmly.

“No! Humans’ potential is stronger than expected; who knows what tricks they’re hiding. Even the [Ancient Ruler]’s incarnation was far stronger than anticipated. Among all we’ve faced so far, it was top-tier; without our special abilities, we’d have been wiped out.”

“Hmm. You mean they might summon another otherworldly being?”

“There’s a possibility.”

far, it was top-tier; without our special abilities, we'd have been wiped out."

"Hmm. You mean they might summon another otherworldly being?"

"There's a possibility."

"I see...."

As Gandharva nodded, Kinnara clenched his fist.

"We can't lose any more comrades. Until 'that time' Lord Changhil promised arrives..."

"Then we stick together."

"Yeah. A bit annoying, but we win while minimizing force expenditure."

Kinnara was the conservative, cautious type among strategists. He yielded to those who devised bizarre, genius strategies, but his solidity made him excel in drawn-out or superior battles, boosting win rates. Thus, hope for the Twelve Rites Lord peeled away another layer.

The Yaksha said,

"Hunt begins."

The very moment the Eight Legions began to move, the Twelve Rites Lord Ha Euncheon couldn't move due to a man blocking his path. He had descended far below the midpoint in an instant and was now standing on a cliff just leaving Baekdu Mountain as the hour of the snake passed.

"Don't move."

The martial artist stood on the opposite side of the cloud bridge, pointing his sword tip at the Twelve Rites Lord.

"Move, and you're dead."

The martial artist stood on the opposite side of the cloud bridge, pointing his sword tip at the Twelve Rites Lord.

“Move, and you’re dead.”

“…….”

The Twelve Rites Lord Ha Euncheon couldn’t ignore the warning. Nor could Hong Gil-dong, the grand elder of the Myeongha Spirit Sect beside him. It was because the sword hero’s barrier-like attack range on the opposite side bound them threateningly.

Powerful formless sword qi embodied intent and kept them in check.

The moment they stepped—even a fingertip—into that domain, they would be sliced.

Combat was unavoidable.

And that fact meant the opponent was an absolute realm supreme expert.

“Hmm.”

The Twelve Rites Lord glanced at Cheongwol and Myeongryongja carried under Hong Gil-dong’s arm. Then he said to the man on the opposite cloud bridge,

“This your comrade?”

“Yes.”

“Guess you’ve got hostages unwillingly. Move aside before they get tossed off the cliff.”

The Twelve Rites Lord threatened nonchalantly, but the man didn’t twitch an eyebrow.

After a silence, the Twelve Rites Lord sighed.

“Haa, toss ’em.”

Whoosh!

The Twelve Rites Lord threatened nonchalantly, but the man didn't twitch an eyebrow.

After a silence, the Twelve Rites Lord sighed.

“Haa, toss ’em.”

Whoosh!

The next moment, Hong Gil-dong unhesitatingly hurled the unconscious Cheongwol and Myeongryongja into the abyss. They weren’t the type to show mercy to enemies. At that, the man on the opposite cliff swiftly drew his sword.

Peeing!

Formless sword qi flew, forming a crescent, then gently cradled and carried Cheongwol and Myeongryongja somewhere.

Sususu—

It seemed like an attack at a glance, but the Twelve Rites Lord and Hong Gil-dong realized it was a exquisite art with no lethality, perfectly controlled to deliver them safely to the bottom—even landing like feathers. Soon, Cheongwol and Myeongryongja vanished from the area, descending below the clouds.

It was sword qi reaching the realm of art, leaving Hong Gil-dong admiring unwittingly.

“Impressive...”

The Twelve Rites Lord shot Hong Gil-dong a dirty look.

“Hey. How do you praise the enemy here?”

“Ah, sorry. But impressive is impressive. As someone who uses clones, I can’t help but admire. How precise a sense does that require.”

“Anyway... shut up.”

Hong Gil-dong shrugged as he made excuses.

“Yes.”

“Didn’t make you grand elder just for brute strength.”

Irritated, the Twelve Rites Lord pulled out a finger-sized wooden tube from his bosom. Shaking it lightly produced a pop, and half-unconscious Geukho appeared. Aiming the Milky Way Severing Blade at Geukho’s head, the Twelve Rites Lord said,

“I admit it’s brilliant sword qi. You’re an amazing swordsman. But this time, no fancy tricks—I’ll crush this friend’s head myself.”

“.......”

“Still not moving? Can you save this young man against both of us from there? Even the White Lotus Cult Lord would struggle?”

This threat carried immense pressure. As the Twelve Rites Lord said, no matter what the swordsman did, saving the unconscious Geukho right next to him was impossible.

Yet the swordsman didn’t waver this time either.

“Geukho staked his life to reach the Divine Altar Tree’s peak. That alone fulfills his mission. He fought staking his life from the start—what regrets could he have?”

“You serious? Who are you to decide if he wants to live or die?”

“Because he’s a man and a comrade.”

The swordsman emanated even stronger aura as he spoke.

“Comrades don’t just protect each other. Sharing the same will, sometimes you must unflinchingly complete your mission! No need for you, the enemy, to understand.”

“…….”

“If Geukho dies a dog’s death, I’ll take responsibility and go down with you.”

Unshakable.

‘A perfected warrior.’

The Twelve Rites Lord inwardly admired. It was less praise for the swordsman’s skill and more for his thoroughly honed mentality and will.

Many experts had skill in the world, but those who strictly upheld a warrior’s convictions and principles were exceedingly rare, deserving respect beyond friend or foe.

The Twelve Rites Lord said,

“You’re probably here on Zhuge Strategist’s orders to stall me. Even we can’t easily beat an absolute realm expert. Plus, in this valley full of endless cliffs, focusing solely on holding us would be a huge pain. The terrain’s perfectly set up too.”

“That’s right.”

“Well... no helping it. Wanted to settle with words if possible.”

Chiriring.

That's right.

"Well... no helping it. Wanted to settle with words if possible."

Chiriring.

The Twelve Rites Lord donned the Twenty Moonlit Night Pure Armor on both hands, gathering his power. Holding the Milky Way Severing Blade, he muttered,

"Guess I'll have to kill you. Sword Demon Seomun Daeryong."

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